A deeper look at the rising popularity of esports and gaming

Video gaming is a billion dollar industry that continues to expand. (Photo by Chesnot/Getty Images)

Arizona in Focus is a podcast from Cronkite News, the news division of Arizona PBS. Each season we dive deep into a particular topic or story to bring you stories you haven’t heard elsewhere. Check out the rest of our episodes here, and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Soundcloud.

Gaming and esports continue their rapid growth. Christian Thurley speaks with ASU professor John Pierce, Chandos Culleen of the Culleen Agency, and Dani George and Donovan Parr, members of ASU’s esports teams, on the rising popularity of esports and gaming. Topics include Twitch as a streaming service, cord-cutting, free-to-play games and the future of esports.

Pierce shares that gaming is a billion dollar industry that will continue to grow. Fortnite just announced their World Cup that will take place this year, with players having the opportunity to earn a chunk of the $30 million prize pool.

We also get a glimpse into the popular streaming service Twitch, which has exploded in popularity along with esports and gaming. Listen to the podcast to learn more about one of the most rapidly growing sports around the world.

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